How not to launch your boat

Boat launching can be a slightly stressful situation at times. Often you are faced with impatient anglers who feel that you holding them up is going to cost them a fish of a lifetime. If you have to share the ramp with other water users, such as jet skis, this situation can become even more stressful.

I am a proponent of making sure that you are ready to launch when you pull up to the ramp. I can't stand people who drive up to the top of the ramp and begin to get the boat ready - that is what the preparation area is for! I have seen many anglers load the boat up for longer than ten minutes while others wait behind them and it never ends well. Fortunately I am a patient person, but others aren't always this way.

Enough of the serious talk though. While trolling around youtube I came across this slightly disturbing video of a failed launch of a jet ski. It would have been nice to see more people come to the rescue, but I guess there isn't much that can be done - I hope that wasn't salt water!

How to reverse a trailer - launching a boat.

Firstly position your vehicle and trailer as straight as you can and roughly a trailer's length from the place you want to reverse. Keep your eyes on the trailer out of the driver's window while slowly reversing, and start turning the steering wheel towards the right. Grasp the wheel at the bottom and steer gently and progressively - it is fat easier to add more steering than to correct it after turning too much. Grasping the wheel at the bottom should prevent you from over-turning the wheel and if your steering wheel starts straight, you will know throughout the turn, without looking, that at the lowest point your wheels are straight again.

When the trailer starts to turn, start straightening up while still reversing. Leave straightening up too late and moving the wheel to quickly will cause the trailer to jack-knife.

Eventually you will be steering in the opposite direction whilst still reversing. Bring the vehicle's front around to follow the trailer and watch where the trailer is in case it needs to be corrected.

Continue reversing in a straight line looking in both mirrors. Reverse carefully and slowly. When you can see more of the trailer in one mirror, steer towards that side to start moving the trailer the other way. Corrections only require a small steering movement.

Moving forward to straighten the trailer is a simple option before continuing to reverse.

With practice you will be confident in your ability to back up several hundred feet without jack-knifing your trailer or rear-ending anything you are ready to launch your boat at a boat ramp. Try and select a quiet weekday morning for your first launch and have experienced help at hand...

This information is from the American boating association and I would recommend reading their complete article on boating

Boat Ramp Etiquette

I found this great little article during my web surfing this morning and thought I would share it with my readers. I recommend reading the whole fishing and boating article here.

A good day on the water can be spoiled by a lack of ‘boat ramp etiquette’. This refers to someone who has insufficient consideration or understanding for other ramp users, isn’t prepared and takes too long to either launch or retrieve a vessel.

LAUNCHING
Prepare your boat before approaching the ramp. This includes loading all gear, checking fuel, removing tie-downs, fitting bungs, turning on battery switch, finding the key, etc. There is nothing more frustrating for other boat ramp users than watching someone drive onto the apron of the ramp and begin doing all the above jobs whilst everyone waits.

When you boat is completely ready to launch, get in line and wait for your turn to use the ramp.

Always check a boat ramp before reversing down it. Check for length of ramp, drop-offs, etc.

Carefully back down the ramp and get the boat in the water quickly and calmly.

When launching use a long rope secured to the bow to control the boat and clear other boats and trailers. On larger boats an additional rope on the stern will assist in windy or wash conditions.

Have someone on board to immediately start the boat and/or move it way from the ramp so the next person can proceed. Park your car and return to your waiting boat that has been moved away from the ramp (the sand or nearby jetty) is a good option.

RETRIEVING
Extra care and patience are needed when returning to the ramp at the end of the day. Tempers can fray easily after a day of sun and excitement. Children will be tired. Alcohol can cause unhelpful behaviour so try to stay calm and be as prepared as you possibly can.

Organise your gear whilst underway back to the ramp, not once you get there.

Approach slowly in congested areas for the safety of yourself and others.

Queue on a sandy beach if possible or make sure you identify who is before and after you. Honest mistakes can occur but good communication prevents unnecessary aggravation and “pushing-in”.

Unload passengers and have someone get the car and trailer and wait in the car queue until it is your turn, whilst you stay with the boat.

When it is your turn, move quickly and carefully to get the boat out of the water.

After retrieval, immediately move well away from the ramp before unloading gear and preparing the boat and trailer for the trip home.

Check tyres, lights, tie-downs, wheel bearings and couplings before leaving home and on arrival and departure at the ramp, also at any stops on the way (check bearings by touching the hub with the back of the hand - if too hot to touch - the bearing has failed).

As a quick check on the bearings, jack the trailer and spin the wheel. Any noise or roughness indicates trouble.

How to launch a boat (without making anyone mad)

Ramp rage, as we call in in oz, is well an truly arrive at some of the popular boat ramps around the country. I have heard of stories from entirely different ends of the spectrum.

Firstly the good where people help out new boaties by showing them what to do and helping them launch.

And then the bad where people have thrown sinkers, punches and been thrown into jail over a slow launch or cutting into the waiting line.

The best thing we can all do is be patient with the new people on the ramps and give them a hand making sure they know what to do. We were all new at the boating game once. That extra 5 minutes is probably not going to mean you miss the fish of a lifetime.

This little video gives a couple of tips that are worth watching intertwined with a story about a slow boatie. Enjoy.